What to do when Pipes Freeze in House

The last thing you want to happen when you’re stuck inside during a blizzard is to lose water due to frozen pipes. Unfortunately, this happens to homeowners fairly often during the cold winter season. Frozen pipes are both inconvenient and dangerous because the freezing water is capable of rupturing pipes. There are several at-home methods you can try if you are caught in this problem. Keep reading to learn more about what to do when pipes freeze in your house.

The first and most successful method would be to wrap electrical heat tape around the pipe and wait for it to thaw. This can be purchased at your local hardware store. When using this method, be careful not to wrap the tape back over itself because this will cause it to overheat.

Another method you can try would be wrapping the pipe with a towel and pouring hot water directly over it. Place a pan or bucket underneath to catch the water. This might take several tries until it thaws, so be patient. You can also try using a hairdryer to unfreeze the frozen section of the pipe.

If you have a heat lamp lying around your house, try positioning it about a foot above the frozen portion of the pipe. Wrap the pipe in aluminum foil so the heat does not melt or scorch the pipe. Be careful when working with electricity around water. Use common sense and take precautions like drying the area where the lamp will be sitting before you plug in the lamp.

If you’re unsuccessful in thawing your pipes and it results in a rupture, you should contact a plumber as soon as possible to prevent any further damage to your home. Try using TalkLocal to connect you to a highly rated plumber in your area within minutes of entering your service request online.

This entry was updated on Wednesday, June 17th, 2015 at 3:32 pm.
This entry was originally posted
on Wednesday, November 14th, 2012 at 6:00 pm and is filed under Plumbers.
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